Contract Clause Library
Acceptance testing clause
Defines how a client formally approves a deliverable — and what happens if they don't respond at all.
This clause sets the process for a client to review a deliverable against agreed criteria and either accept it, reject it with specific reasons, or (critically) go silent. Without a defined acceptance window, agencies end up in limbo: work is delivered but never formally signed off, so it's unclear whether the next payment milestone has actually been triggered.
Sample wording
Sample language (illustrative, not legal advice)
Client will review each deliverable within 10 business days of delivery and provide written acceptance or a specific, itemized list of deficiencies. Deliverables not rejected in writing within that window are deemed accepted.
Red flags
- No deemed-acceptance fallback, meaning a non-responsive client can block payment indefinitely
- Acceptance criteria left undefined ("to Client's satisfaction") rather than tied to the SOW's specifications
- Unlimited rejection-and-resubmit cycles with no cap on rounds
How MarginFlow reads it
The extraction pipeline captures the acceptance window and the deemed-acceptance fallback (if present) so MarginFlow can flag a deliverable that's crossed the review window without a response — the exact silent-acceptance moment that's easy to lose track of in a long email thread.